Overview
Provide overall leadership and management of FAO’s component of the Joint United Nations Nutrition Programme (UNN) in Sierra Leone, ensuring effective planning, implementation, coordination, and delivery of project components.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead overall implementation of FAO project components against workplans, budgets, and timelines.
- Develop and oversee operational workplans.
- Ensure alignment with FAO standards, donor requirements, and Joint Programme objectives.
- Provide technical leadership across agriculture, livelihoods, and resilience interventions.
- Guide design and implementation of climate-resilient agriculture practices, livelihood support, and nutrition-sensitive interventions.
- Ensure technical quality and consistency of outputs.
- Coordinate FAO activities with UN partner agencies.
- Maintain collaboration with government institutions, NGOs, implementing partners, and private sector actors.
- Facilitate joint planning, monitoring, and reporting processes.
- Ensure efficient use of resources.
- Supervise and validate procurement processes.
- Oversee use of FAO corporate systems.
- Ensure robust monitoring systems.
- Lead preparation and submission of reports.
- Identify and manage technical, operational, and fiduciary risks.
- Propose mitigation measures.
- Ensure compliance with FAO rules, donor requirements, and audit standards.
- Lead development and delivery of training programmes.
- Promote documentation of lessons learned and best practices.
- Support scaling-up of successful interventions.
- Supervise project staff and consultants.
- Foster a results-oriented and collaborative team environment.
- Ensure clear roles, accountability, and performance monitoring.
- Perform any other duties as required.
Required Experience
- Minimum 9 years of progressively responsible experience in agricultural or rural development project management.
- Strong experience in project/programme management (RBM approach).
- Proven experience in multi-stakeholder coordination (UN, government, NGOs).
- Experience in climate-resilient agriculture and food systems.
- Experience in budget management and donor reporting.
- Experience in UN Joint Programmes or multi-agency coordination frameworks.
- Experience with donor-funded programmes (EU, Irish Aid, etc.).
- Demonstrated leadership in complex, multi-sectoral projects.
- Experience in nutrition-sensitive agriculture programmes.
- Proven ability to deliver results under high scrutiny and tight timelines.
Qualifications
• Advanced university degree (Master’s or equivalent) in Agriculture, Agricultural Economics, Natural Resource Management, Development Studies, or related field.
